Where's Grayleen?

Wow! Really… wow! If you have a very large hole burned in your pocket or, even better, super-duper generous and awesome in-laws, I have the trip for you! Going on Safari was an delicious mix of living up to sky-high expectations (great time with family, luxurious accommodations, beautiful animals, gorgeous views, hilarious safari outfits, and gluttonous overeating) and surprising me in ways I’d have never guessed (hundreds of exotic animals in every direction like being in a Disney movie, animals literally within arms reach, stunning diversity of the locations we visited, insane overeating, and pretty much non-stop laughs and good times).

Abundant wildlife (Chobe National Park, Botswana)

Seeing these animals on safari was nothing like seeing them in the zoo. They have a grace and dignity in the wild that is somehow lost when they are confined. The protectiveness of a herd of elephants of the littlest among them; the unreal slow motion of the giraffe’s gait as it runs across the plains; even the alert and nervous way the impala drink water from the river for fear of crocodiles: they are all graceful and strong and beautiful. So many times, I was simply overwhelmed by the beauty all around me.

Giraffe running with its characteristic slow-motion stride in the evening light. (Chobe National Park, Botswana)

And it really was all around me. I think when I imagined a safari, I thought we would have to drive for hours just to see a tiny animal way off in the distance. In reality, there were so many animals that at times we had to sit still and wait as impala and elephants and baboons slowly made their way past us on the 4WD roads. Gazing to either side, we could pick out giraffe heads poking out above the sparse trees. Hippos piled up alongside the river. Warthogs dug their snouts into the ground, seemingly oblivious or at least unperturbed by us. Lions lounged on the grass airstrip we used to arrive at one camp, complete with a pair of cuddly cubs. Perhaps because I have heard so much about various endangered species, I somehow pictured these animals being a lot more sparse. In truth, their number is testament to the success of a lot of conservation programs. And their nonchalance is testament to how habituated they are to the khaki-clad safari goers!

A sweet moment between a lioness and her cub (Chief's Island, Botswana)

Of course, we never forgot that these were wild animals and not to be taken lightly. For example, each night we had to be escorted back to our 5-star cabin or perma-tent because the hippos and elephants like to graze on vegetation inside the camps. Turns out they weren’t kidding: one night we had to hide behind a neighboring cabin for five minutes with the camp manager, waiting for an elephant literally standing at our doorstep to stop munching on leaves and hurry up and mosey along. And one of our guides, Sky, told us about his vehicle being chased for miles by an angry female elephant. (Sadly, he believes her baby had been killed by illegal hunters out of a very similar vehicle, and now she becomes furious and crazy at the sight of them.)

Beyond the incredible animals, the safari was a wonderful change in pace from the rest of our travels: it was really special to spend time with the Sandridge family and Baker friends, our accommodations were gorgeous and luxurious, and we didn’t have to plan a thing– thanks Homer! And oh my goodness, the food. We must have gained fifteen pounds between us (or each?) with the copious amounts of delicious food and no exercise. We ate like hobbits: feeding a minimum of six times per day on morning coffee with pastries, a full breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, evening cocktail hour with snacks, and dinner. Because the food was all so good, we never wanted to miss a feeding. We would jokingly call out, “Back to the trough!” Needless to say, it’s now time for more disciplined eating and we have every intention of finding opportunities for some exercise!

Sundowners on the Okavango Delta, Botswana. "Pula!"

We have more photos than usual to share, so we put together two albums: one album with just our favorites (hard to choose!) and a second bigger album. Enjoy!